Bhubaneswar, October 24: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Saturday outlined a vision for India’s future urban mobility, emphasising three key principles - integration, inclusiveness and intelligence (3-I).

Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day 19th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference and Exhibition 2026 in Bhubaneswar today, he stressed the need to integrate transport systems with urban planning to ensure seamless connectivity, accessible public transport and smarter mobility solutions across cities.

“Urban mobility must be integrated with urban planning from the very beginning. India’s future urban mobility systems must be guided by the three principles of Integration, Inclusiveness and Intelligence,” said Lal.

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He explained that Integration means seamless connectivity between metro, bus, rail and other transport services, with strong first- and last-mile connectivity. Inclusiveness calls for safe, accessible and convenient transport for women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities and all sections of society. Intelligence involves the use of Artificial Intelligence and real-time data to improve traffic management, passenger safety and efficiency of public transport.

Highlighting progress in urban transport infrastructure, he said that that since December 2025, the Government of India has approved nine Metro projects covering approximately 174 kilometres at a cost of over Rs 59,000 crore. During the same period, an additional 102 kilometres of Metro network has become operational. He further stated that India’s operational Metro network has expanded to 1,185 kilometres across 26 cities.

The Minister also highlighted progress under the PM e-Bus Sewa Scheme. He said that 1,100 electric buses have commenced operations in 28 cities, carrying an average of around 2.5 lakh passengers daily. Referring to the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Policy 2026 approved for Delhi in April 2026.

As many as14 sessions were organised over two days, with participation from around 1,500 delegates and experts from India and abroad while 28 exhibitors showcased innovations and solutions in urban transport.

Odisha Housing and urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra also graced the event and emphasised that the learnings from the Conference must be converted into practical solutions suited to the needs of cities, with a focus on making urban spaces safer, more accessible, inclusive and liveable.

The Union Minister presents awards for excellence and best practices in urban transport.